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Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
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Author:  mountainman [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 5:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
I'm new to boating and towing and could use some real-world advice about a unique situation.

I'm about to buy a 2003 H180 OB & FW trailer (total weight around 3,000 lbs.). My intended tow vehicle is a Subaru Forester rated for towing 1,500 lbs. That's a bad combination. I know.

But, I will only be towing the boat 100 feet (yes, FEET) from my house to the launch ramp once per season, and then back up to the house. The chances are extremely slim that I would ever have to tow the boat longer than this distance. If the boat ever needed major service, the nearby marina could send a truck to retrieve the boat so I don't have to drive with an underrated vehicle.

I know that everyone swears by big trucks, but in this case I'm not too keen on buying a pickup truck or huge SUV for a 100-foot trip twice a year.

Is the Forester up to the task?

Thank you!!
Author:  meinmelb [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 6:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
mountainman wrote:
I'm new to boating and towing and could use some real-world advice about a unique situation.

I'm about to buy a 2003 H180 OB & FW trailer (total weight around 3,000 lbs.). My intended tow vehicle is a Subaru Forester rated for towing 1,500 lbs. That's a bad combination. I know.

But, I will only be towing the boat 100 feet (yes, FEET) from my house to the launch ramp once per season, and then back up to the house. The chances are extremely slim that I would ever have to tow the boat longer than this distance. If the boat ever needed major service, the nearby marina could send a truck to retrieve the boat so I don't have to drive with an underrated vehicle.

I know that everyone swears by big trucks, but in this case I'm not too keen on buying a pickup truck or huge SUV for a 100-foot trip twice a year.

Is the Forester up to the task?

Thank you!!


There are a number of different technical articles explaining how car companies derive their towing limits, and with out boring you it involves a number of factors including length of vehicle, weight of vehicle, mechanical and braking ability, as well as speed factors.

In the UK the Forrester is rated to tow just over 3000lbs at speeds below 80 km/h, while in Australia the same vehicle is rated to tow nearly 4000lbs at the legal speed limit... but there are different requirements for trailer design and braking systems on trailers. In Australia any trailer over 1600lbs must have its own brakes.

I towed one of my boats ( over 3000lbs) for 2 years with a Toyota Camry, and while I adjusted my driving style and chose my boat ramps better, I never had an issue.

For 100 feet I doubt there will be any issue unless you are brutal on the clutch / transmission, and then to only do it twice a year.. I would go for it. ( also check what your model Forrester is rated to tow in other countries to give you an idea of its mechanical capability)
Author:  LouC [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Any steep hills? Do your trailer brakes work well? Is the Subaru still under warrante?
The other option is if you only have to do this once or twice a year see if you can rent a truck with a hitch.
Author:  mountainman [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Mark, a Camry? Wow. That was ambitious. That's the kind of experience I wanted to hear about. Doesn't make it the right thing to do, but good to hear that you did it for years. I'm guessing your car showed no signs of excessive wear.

Lou, there is a modest incline but not anything prohibitive from what I can tell. The trailer brakes are good. The trailer got very little use. The Forester is still under warranty. As for renting a truck twice a year, the closest rental location is probably 90 minutes away. Doable, but not practical or fun. Ruining my car wouldn't be fun either, but again it's only 100 feet.

Thank you.
Author:  meinmelb [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
mountainman wrote:
Mark, a Camry? Wow. That was ambitious. That's the kind of experience I wanted to hear about. Doesn't make it the right thing to do, but good to hear that you did it for years. I'm guessing your car showed no signs of excessive wear.


Camry was rated to 2650lbs, boat and trailer weighed about 2800. Drive safe and within the limits and no issues. There was no margin for error so I took it easy but did not drive like Mrs Daisy.

Car had no noticeable additional wear and tear but then it was a company car that I was forced to take over until the end of the lease........ :twisted:
Author:  ric [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Like 99% of the rated towing capacity limit is based upon braking ability at highway speeds and in the USA most small trailers do not require braking systems hence the low tow rating (the car simply can't safely stop something more than 1500lb at speed without additional braking). There's absolutely no issue towing that boat 100ft twice a year.

That's why that same car can tow 4000lb in Australia and nearly the same in the UK. Trailer brakes are mandatory and there's usually limits on towing speed.
Author:  fi.na.tine [ Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Towing on a flat surface that distance I would say no problem. But when you deal with a boat and the angle of a launch, that is something. The other thing is pulling the boat and trailer out of the water, adding the weight of the water, slickness of the ramp, and the angle - probably not a good combo.

If you have a home depot, lowes, or Uhaul close by - you could rent a truck for about $50 each time.
Author:  NiagaraChillin [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
I know a guy that lives on the river here, he is in a similar situation as you. Has a ramp and dock out back of his house, puts the boat (22 foot Grady White) in, in the spring, takes it out in the fall. He uses a Kubota lawn tractor with a ball hitch on the front. Your Subaru will be fine. If the ramp gets slick, throw some sand on it.

Oh, and welcome to the forum! Where ya located at? Lets see some pics of this boat once ya get it!
Author:  deafwish [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
What year/ model Forester do you own & is it automatic or manual transmission?
Does it have the low range transmission option?
I've raced these for years & I'll eat my hat if you damage anything on your mighty Subie! 8)
Author:  RotaryRacer [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
I have the same boat...and have only used a 3/4 ton truck to tow it. That is all I have with a hitch. Funny thing is, most people like to say "I can't even tell it's there"...but they can and they are all liars. Put 3,000 lbs behind any vehicle and you know it is there. My truck is way overkill for this boat....but again it is what I have and it tows 100s of miles without any concern.

Your situation is different, very different.

The boat/trailer has a good bit of tongue weight. That would be my first concern with the Subaru. Can the hitch handle 300 lbs of tongue weight? The way a 1500 lbs rated hitch attaches to the unibody would cause me to think twice about putting twice the rated tongue weight on it. Typically you are going to have at least 10% of the total trailer weight on the tongue. This is required for stability when towing down the road.

I'm sure the car can handle the pulling of the weight the distance you are talking about....but make sure the hitch can safely carry the weight.
Author:  mountainman [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Maybe I should get a lawn tractor!

Call me paranoid, but I'd prefer not to mention my location or post photos because I'll be using the Forester beyond it's towing capacity. It's leased, so I don't want to get in trouble if my Subaru dealer happens to also be a Four Winns owner. :)

The car is a 2.5i CVT transmission, not manual. It has the low gear "L" but not paddle shifters or anything like that. It's a 2015 Forester.

To answer the hitch question, I haven't installed one yet so that opens the possibility of putting in the right hitch for my application. A Class III should suffice, right?

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm new to the forum and I'm grateful to find a new, supportive community. I have read lots of pages in the archives and it seems like a very friendly bunch!
Author:  ric [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Just what someone said before, you can tow the darn thing with a lawn tractor, ATV, whatever 100ft. It's not going to break anything or cause any damage to your subie.
Author:  RotaryRacer [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
mountainman wrote:
To answer the hitch question, I haven't installed one yet so that opens the possibility of putting in the right hitch for my application. A Class III should suffice, right?



Yes. I just looked at e-trailer. It looks like they offer only Class II & III for for the Forester. Should be no problem. It looks like the class III has a 525 lb tongue weight rating. I think you will have no problem.

My comments about the concern on tongue weight were based on the the belief you had a Class I hitch since you mentioned a 1500 lb tow rating. I've seen several class I hitches bend and one actually broke loaded with only a couple hundred pounds of cargo...used to carry stuff (bikes, race tires, etc.) not tow a trailer.
Author:  mountainman [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
Oh, I see why you asked about tongue weight. I deliberately waited to get a hitch because I wasn't sure what kind of boat I was going to get. Plus, I don't know anything about any of this stuff, so I wanted to get advice from people like you guys before proceeding.
Author:  GottWhat [ Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Towing H180 OB with Subaru Forester
If it is only twice per year, ask family, friends, co-workers, etc with a truck or SUV if they could give you a hand. You can take them for a spin on the boat and then buy them beer/pizza for their trouble. Will be cheaper than getting a hitch for a leased car and you won't have to worry about being over the limit.
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